President appoints 2 new ministers despite opposition objections

From left, Park Young-sun, nominee for culture minister and Kim Yeon-chul, nominee for unification minister.

President Moon Jae-in on Monday appointed two new ministers strongly opposed by the opposition, possibly putting his government and ruling party on a collision course with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP).

The president appointed Park Young-sun, a ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, as the new venture minister in a ceremony held at his office Cheong Wa Dae.

Kim Yeon-chul was appointed the new unification minister. Kim previously headed the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification.

Moon's appointment of the two new ministers came after LKP twice refused to publish reports on the outcome of their confirmation hearings held last month.

Parliamentary approval is not required for the appointment of new government ministers but doing so without the hearing reports often leads to political strife.

"If President Moon Jae-in does not withdraw his nomination for venture firms minister nominee Park Young-sun and unification minister nominee Kim Yeon-chul, our party cannot but resist together with the people," LKP chief Hwang Kyo-ahn said earlier Monday in a rebuttal to the appointment.

Monday's ceremony was attended by three other ministers who were appointed earlier without a formal ceremony.

They are Culture Minister Park Yang-woo, Oceans Minister Moon Seong-hyeok and Interior Minister Chin Young.

The three were appointed shortly after the National Assembly published their hearing reports.

The five new ministers were among seven nominees named early last month. The president was forced to withdraw his nomination for the new science minister nominee, Cho Dong-ho, who was found to have taken part in what is widely considered to be a fake international science conference.

Moon's earlier pick for the new transportation minister stepped down voluntarily after he came under fire over alleged real estate speculation. (Yonhap)